Final Fantasy XIII-3
Final Fantasy XIII-3 is the direct sequel to Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII and a part of the Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy series. The game takes place thirteen years after the events of its predecessor conclude. Gameplay Gameplay in Final Fantasy XIII-3 was designed to be "trickier" than that of the other games in the Lightning Saga; the game is cinematic in all aspects and features a highly interactive environment. Because creating a world as realistic as possible was Yuji Abe's main objective during development, great care was given to the AI of each NPC, enemy, and playable character featured in the game to make them as unique and realistic as possible. According to Abe, "No two playthroughs of Final Fantasy XIII-3 are ever the same, for this reason." Enemies appear in every possible location on the field; their AI allows them to interact in a vast ecosystem where every creature is unique and behaves independently. Hostile enemies may even ambush the player. Battle System The battle system in Final Fantasy XIII-3 was directly inspired by early gameplay footage from the E3 2006 trailer for Final Fantasy XIII; some elements of gameplay were also included to "set the stage" for Final Fantasy XV. FFXIII-3 Gameplay.jpg|Gameplay footage from the E3 2006 trailer for Final Fantasy XIII FFXIII-3 Gameplay 2.jpg|Gameplay footage from the E3 2006 trailer for Final Fantasy XIII FFXIII-3 Gameplay 6.jpg|Gameplay footage from the E3 2006 trailer for Final Fantasy XIII FFXIII-3 Gameplay 4.jpg|Gameplay footage from the E3 2006 trailer for Final Fantasy XIII FFXIII-3 Gameplay 5.jpg|Gameplay footage from the E3 2006 trailer for Final Fantasy XIII The action and pace of each battle in Final Fantasy XIII-3 is meant to suggest a "playable cutscene" akin to a fight seen in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. Battles take place on the field; the transition between the field and battlefield is seamless and has no loading time. Battles utilize all regions of the field, and they can take place in areas with great differences in height. The entirety of the environment is intended for use in battle, meaning players must face what is in front of them, to the sides, behind them, and also what is above and below them. Final Fantasy XIII-3 features the most playable characters out of any game in the Lightning Saga, with a grand total of eight. Each character takes a different approach to battle and has special attacks, abilities, traits, and other functions that are unique to him or her (for example, when playing as Sazh, players can take aim at enemies via a third-person shooter mode). The player can switch between characters on the fly, allowing for multiple-character combination attacks to be executed. AI-controlled party members may sometimes join the player for co-op attacks, and they automatically react to situations in various ways under different circumstances. Every playable character has access to all skills, spells, attacks, and abilities, but they function differently for each of them. The ATB Gauge appears during battle, as in the previous games in the Lightning Saga. All attacks and spells in the player's arsenal, as well as any advanced actions he or she performs during battle, have an ATB cost. As commands are selected to fill the ATB slots that appear at the bottom of the screen, the ATB Gauge empties. When the gauge reaches zero, the player becomes immobile until it is refilled through the passage of time. All selected commands are executed in a brilliant cinematic sequence, and the damage each attack deals is displayed on the screen. Each hit is rated on a scale ranging from "Poor" to "Excellent," and this contributes to the player's score and star rating at the end of battle. Attacks that strike multiple enemies simultaneously will trigger a Chain Bonus, increasing the player's score and the damage dealt to enemies significantly. Through a special command in battle, players can leap onto larger enemies to access their weak points and destroy certain parts of their bodies. This same command allows for interaction with the environment, as well as for special grappling sequences with enemies of all kinds, shapes, and sizes, to be performed. In a similar tactic to Paradigm Shifts, the player can select from a wide variety of weapons during battle and switch between them freely. Each weapon changes the player character's fighting style, and some can be used as shields. Weapons can be customized to some degree, as well as upgraded in a similar fashion to Final Fantasy XIII. The World of Final Fantasy XIII-3 The world map in Final Fantasy XIII-3 is vast and expansive; players can explore as far as the eye can see. Cars, motorcycles, and other vehicles can be driven when necessary; Sazh's airplane can also be flown by the player when traveling to different locations. Day and night cycles return from Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, and changing cloud formations help to create more dynamic lighting when exploring Final Fantasy XIII-3's various locales. Setting Final Fantasy XIII-3 takes place in the New World, which was first seen in the epilogue of Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. Characters Playable Characters *'Claire Farron' (エクレール・ファロン, Ekurēru Faron) - *'Hope Estheim' (ホープ・エストハイム, Hōpu Esutohaimu) - *'Noel Kreiss' (ノエル・クライス, Noeru Kuraisu) - *'Oerba Dia Vanille' (ヲルバ=ダイア・ヴァニラ, Woruba Daia Vanira) - *'Oerba Yun Fang' (ヲルバ=ユン・ファング, Woruba-Yun Fangu) - *'Sazh Katzroy' (サッズ・カッツロイ, Sazzu Kattsuroi) - *'Serah Farron' (セラ・ファロン, Sera Faron) - *'Snow Villiers' (スノウ・ヴィリアース, Sunou Viriāsu) - Major Characters *'Bhunivelze' (ブーニベルゼ, Būniberuze) - *'Caius Ballad' (カイアス・バラッド, Kaiasu Baraddo) - *'Paddra Nsu-Yeul' (パドラ＝ヌス・ユール, Padora Nusu-Yūru) - *'Mwynn' (ムイン, Muin) - Other Characters *'Dajh Katzroy' (ドッジ・カッツロイ, Dojji Kattsuroi) - *'Gadot' (ガドー, Gadō) - *'Lebreau' (レブロ, Reburo) - *'Yuj' (ユージュ, Yūju) - *'Maqui' (マーキー, Mākī) - *'Nora Estheim' (ノラ・エストハイム, Nora Esutohaimu) - *'Bartholomew Estheim' (バルトロメイ・エストハイム, Barutoromei Esutohaimu) - Story Music Downloadable Content and Extras Development 2011 2012 2014 Gameplay Art Direction Themes Production Credits Staff Voice Cast Trivia Category:Final Fantasy XIII-3 Category:Games Category:Fabula Nova Crystallis: Final Fantasy